PABLO SOFOVICH has extensive experience in several areas of the film industry including working with Carlos Sorin’s (Director THE SON OF THE BRIDE) and directed TV comedy programs and short video films.

Pablo’s directing career is now dedicated to his own production company “Sofo Cine” and shooting commercials for major advertising campaigns which include more than 300 shoots in Argentina, Latin America, Portugal, Spain and USA. He has won numerous awards in publicity festivals including New York, Cilio. FIAP, Lápiz de Platino y Oro and Montreux.

LUIS PRIETO was born in Madrid, Spain. He studied economics and photography in Spain and a honour student graduate in film and video from the California Institute of the Arts, Los Angeles. Luis’s directing career is extensive with substantial short and feature films on his reel including video artist for musician Peter Gabriel in Real World Studios, Box, England.

SHANDI MITCHELL is a Dalhousie University graduate with a degree in English and Theatre, her award-winning short films have been featured at festivals across North America. In 2008, Shandi was awarded the Canada Council’s Victor Martin-Lynch Stauton Endowment in Media Arts. Her debut novel Under the Unbroken Sky has sold in nine countries, including translation rights for Chinese, Hebrew and Dutch. In 2010, Under the Unbroken Sky won the Commonwealth Price for First Book – Canada/Caribbean.

CHRISTOPHER BALL

We are honoured to present Christopher as host and share his expertise on THE FUTURE OF THE INDEPENDENT.

Born and residing in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, Christopher began his film career at the age of nine when he discovered a brownie camera in his parent’s attic. Christopher graduated with a Bachelor or Applied Arts degree from Ryerson Polytechnical University, Toronto. Christopher has traveled extensively as a Cinematographer and Camera Operator and has directed many award winning dramas, TV series, documentaries, commercials, short films and music videos. His works have toured world-wide at festivals, theatres and television.

SARBA DAS

Sarba holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Yale University and an M.F.A. in directing at N.Y.U.’s Tisch School of the Arts where she was the recipient of the Helana Rubenstein Scholarship and the Willard T. Johnson Scholarship. Sarba has directed several short films including Passage, Mausi: or how an old lady finds her way back to India which was distributed by Canal +. Sarba is the 2006 recipient of the Richard Vague Award for first time feature directors. In 2002, she directed the documentary Nagas of the Kumbha Mela with her brother Sarthak with whom she collaborates as a writing duo.

GREG JACKSON

Greg is an independent filmmaker based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. A native of Chester, N.S. Greg studied history at Concordia University, Montreal, P.Q. and Public Relations, Mount St. Vincent University, Halifax, NS. He began working in film in 1999 at the Atlantic Filmmakers’ Co-operative where he took part in the Introduction to 16MM Filmmaking program. Greg’s films have screened at domestic and international film festivals including the Atlantic Film Festival, Just for Laughs Comedy Festival and the prestigious Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival. Greg currently has three scripts in development and were selected to take part in the Atlantic Film Festival’s Script Development Program.

SHANDI MITCHELL

Shandi is a prolific Canadian writer and filmmaker living in Nova Scotia. Graduating from Dalhousie Univeristy with degree in English and Theatre, he award-winning short films have been featured at festivals across North America. In 2008, Shandi was awarded the Canada Council’s Victor Martin-Lynch Stauton Endowment in Media Arts. Her debut novel Under the Unbroken Sky has sold in nine countries, including translation rights for Chinese, Hebrew and Dutch. In 2010, Under the Unbroken Sky won the Commonwealth Price for First Book – Canada/Caribbean.

SHERRY WHITE

Award-winning and multi-talented film director, writer, actor and producer Sherry is a graduate of the Fine Arts program at the Sir Wilfred Grenfell College in Corner Book, Newfoundland. Sherry has performed in a number of theatre companies and we have all seen her perform is excellent films coming out of Newfoundland. Her screenplay CRACKIE was given the 2004 Jim Burt Screenwriting Award from the Writer’s Guild of Canada. Her feature film debut CRACKIE (screening May 9 at CIFF 2010) has screened successfully at international and domestic festivals.

CAROL SLATER is a graduate of the National Film and Television School. Carol has work extensively as freelance director and film editor including award winning short and features films such as “Mayomi”, “Another Day in Angolia” and “Sunday” to name a few.

LARA EVERLY director and actor graduated from Wesleyan University, Conn. with a B.A. in theatre. Lara has trained with Anne Bogart, SITI Company & Columbia University Graduate Directing Program and Lloyd Richards, Yale University School of Drama.

DIEGO VELASCO writer, director and DP was born in Buffalo, New York and was raised in Venezuela. Diego has worked on numerous film and television projects including “Tony Bravo” and “Mutiny” . Diego was selected to direct the first Latin American sitcom for a Venezuelan tv network, Televen and was nominated for an INTE Award (equivalent to an Emmy) in Latin America. Diego was also selected to participate in Fox Searchlab/Twentieth Century Fox program and “Day Shift” is the result of this collaboration.